To find the Admissions Office at the Lycée Français de New York, a new parent must first come and say hello at the welcome desk, then walk past the big library (on the right) and our makerspace (on the left), through the foyer, where student artworks are displayed, and up the main staircase to the Primary School wing. There you will find Martine Lala, who has been the director of admissions at the Lycée for 22 years, and her admissions team, Magali Bertoia and Ilhem Kadiri.
We recently dropped in to get the scoop on how things are going with this year’s admissions season. Here is what we learned:
Do I need to speak French to apply to the Lycée?
In preschool, it’s not necessary because the education is designed to bring your child to full bilingualism. Students have two teachers, a francophone and an anglophone teacher in the classroom each day, as well as an assistant. Their day is 50 percent of the time in French, 50 percent in English. As they get older, bilingual proficiency, as well as reading and writing, becomes more important. By the time children arrive in first grade they do need to have a strong working level of French. Our preschool program certainly prepares them for this. Other than that, we are very international and very diverse. Our families come from many countries, speak many languages, and represent a wide range of professions. We have families who commute from all five boroughs of New York. Our community is very lucky to bring together so many different families.
What makes a good candidate for admissions at the Lycée?
The main quality we look for in children and their families is curiosity about the world. We like to meet parents who are open-minded and interested to participate in our community. Our school mission is that we aim to raise children who think for themselves, who aren’t afraid to tackle challenges, and who give back to their communities. So we love to meet parents who really believe in this mission, who are supportive and involved. We have so much variety in our families. We have 60 nationalities, and they all see things differently. They express themselves differently. They have different hopes for their kids and ideas about how to get there. The most important qualities we care about is that our families are outward-looking and empathetic.
I understand you are opening additional spots for students in first grade this year. Why is that?
We always like to say to our families, especially those who do not yet have French at home, that getting an early start in bilingual schooling is recommended. In 2019, we opened a Nursery-3 program for this reason, so that we could offer the complete cycle of Preschool in France, Nursery-3, Pre-K and K, to families.
We also recognize that families may wish to have their children at home for longer, or, if they live away from the Upper East Side, they may choose a school closer to home for their earliest years. To provide some flexibility for parents, this year, we opened kindergarten to students who do not yet speak French, with extra support and guidance to enhance language acquisition.
We added quite a few new spots in first grade at the Lycée, which would be the right fit for families whose children already have some French at home, but who wish to take advantage of public school programs during their children’s earliest years. With flourishing universal pre-K programs in New York City, we thought families would appreciate a new point of entry at school.
Unlike Preschool, however, all applicants to first grade and higher at the Lycée need to have some previous knowledge of the French language to attend the school.
What advice do you give families who are concerned about affordability?
Over the past five years, the Lycée has doubled its financial aid. We now give out $4 million annually to support students who qualify, and that is a number we hope to grow. That being said, in admissions, we are “need blind,” which means we do not consider a family’s income level in making admissions decisions. We encourage people of all walks of life and financial means to apply.
When is the next Open House?
We are pleased to announce three remaining dates for Open Houses, with a special open house just for families interested in entering at the Lycée from first to fifth grade.
Click on the link to get more details, and to book a school tour!
About the Author :
Originally from Toulouse in France, Martine Lala is French-American and moved to the US to pursue an advanced degree in literature and linguistics at New York University. She joined the Lycée team in 1996 et has been Director of Admissions since 1998. Martine has two daughters, Stéphanie and Chloé, both of whom are Lycée alumnae. During her spare time, she likes to read, walk and go to the theater.